Dispensing apparatus



March 1, 1932.

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1930 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS thelevel ofthe beverage in the, settling cham-' J0. i' 'l he s'everal objects, advantages and Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES winner: s.

PANY, on DETROIT, MICHI AN, A

oonrona'rroiv oFM'IoHI An .nrsrnns'nre m sa re f 'npplication filed June 20,

orother source of supply of the beverage unj 10 de'r high pressure and .to conduct this high pressure beverage to a container or the like constituting a settling chamber where a large proportion of the gas is. freed and permitted to escape whereby the resulting low pressure :15 beverage'inay be .dispensedwithoutz an objectionable amount of foam.

, One of the important objects of the present invention isto provide an'iinproved means for equalizing the pressure in the settling chamber and draft arm whereby the beverage in: the draft armmay be maintained, during the inactive periodsof the apparatus, at a level substantially equal to the level-of the beverage in the settling chamber to thus be 25 below.'the level of the cooling medium. In I this manner the beverage in the draft'arm is maintained at the same temperature as the beverage in-the settling chamber and properlyohilledbeverage may therefore be dispensed irrespective of the length i of thein -active?'perio'd of the apparatus; ,r v Y Z Thefparticular improvements in this connection forming the subject matter of the present invention consist in the manner in "which the settling chamber is connected to the draft arm, this structure-providing forthe automatic sealing of the gas outlet in the vevent the levelof the beverage in thesettling chamber rises beyond a predetermined-point due vto leakage. Also, this invention. contempl'atesfa connection between the gas pressure line and the-draft arm which insures the accumulation of pressure in the draft arm above the column of beverage whereby this column of beverage will be forced back to ybler irrespective of the length of the draft arm j 01:01? the presence of goosenecks or the like therein. a 5

novel forereferred gtog, I

1930: Serial 110,452,642,

DOUGHTY, or nn'rnorr, MIcHIGan, 'AssIGn0R mums vnnnoa coin-v details of construction; vof. a rider n boiilimentof i this, invention will. be mademoreapparent asthis description proceeds, especially when considered .:in connection with the accompanying view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance withmy invention. v s

Referring now to the; drawing wherein like reference characters1,indicate; like :parts, ,;it will, be noted that there isillustrated a tank drawing, wherein the figure is'a orcontainer 10. adapted to-contain a cooling medium such, for instanee,ias ice and water usually to the level indicated. [Arranged Within-the container lO is a settling chamber ;11 into which the high pressurebeverage is introduced from a tankor the like 12', the latter constituting a source of high pressure b gei c a -11.

This beverage flows through a pipe or conduit 13 into ;a.cooling coil 14 which inturn "is connected to theinletcondu'itl5 of a controldevice indicated generally by thereference character 16;

-; I Thedetails of this control device, ,wil'lrnot be herein described as, it forms nov part io f 7 this present invention but is; fully described 'A and illustrated in my prior patent ,hereinbe- I Iowever, oby ref rence to'the drawing,;it -'1Wlll be noted that the control device comprises essentially a p ressure responsive device 17 controlling 'a valve' device 18, which gin turncontrolsthe inflow of high: pressure beverage from the inlet 15 into the settling chamber.

The control devi e also i floatflt), which when the beverage. inthe settling chamberobtains a predetermined height,

,actstoclbsefla valve' dev ice 20,,which in turn controls a gas outlet; conduit21.- Thisgas ;-outlet conduit 21- maybe: connected to: a dis- -play chamber (not shown) such as described inmy, prior patentor may be connecteddirectly to a perforated pipe arranged nearthe bottom of the container 10 whereby the gas is/permitted to escape into the cooling medium forthe purpose of agitating the same. I Briefly, theoperation ofthe'structurethus far described isass follows: High pressure beverage will flow in through inlet 15 and assuming that the valve device 18 is open, by reason of the action of spring 22, this high pressure beverage will flow into the interior of the expansibleelement 17 and then through apertures in the bottom thereof (not shown) and into the settlingchamber-11. This will continue until the float 19 has moved upward- 1y. sufliciently. to close valve device 20, thereby interrupting the escape of'the freedggas through conduit'21. When the escape of'g'as has been cut off, the pressure of the. gas; in the settling chamber will rise and, inasmuch as the interior of the expansible member '17- is in communication with the settling chamher, this expansible member-will be expandeditoclosethe-valve device-18 againstthe action-ofsprin-g 22: This; cutsofi the inflow of the high pressure beverage as Will be apparent. v

Inaccordance with the present invention 1 provide a second conduit 23' connected to the settling chamber=- 1'1 as at 2 'ata point slightly abovethe" normal desired level; of the? beverage in; thesettlin'g chamber.- This conduit 23 is connected at its other end asat 25-to-the draft arm'26 at a point on the latter adjacent the; spigot-271 which, as shown, is controlled by a-valve-28; As shown the-dra-ft arm-26 may and generally is, of considerable length andmaybe provided with one or more-- elbows or goosen'ecks 29;

lihe conduit 23 provides a constant source of communication between the settling chamher 11 and the draft arm 26" adjacent the spigot; thereof; and under ordinary conditions theaccumulated 1 gas ,in the settling chamber llwill'fiow througli' conduit 23-and intothe draft arm 26. Thus after beverage has been dispensedand the valve-28of spig0t 27 ihasbeenclosed, this gas will fillthe draft man and acting against the-valve 28 will accumulate sufli'cient'pressureto force the beverage in the draft arm back downwardly to thenlevel of the beverage in the'settling chamber 11. Thus during the inactiveperiods of the apparatus no beverage. remains inthat portion ofthe draft; arm outside of-the cooling medium so that the first glass full of beverage drawn after the inactive period of the apparatus will be at substantially the same temperature as the remaining beverage in the settling chamber.

-M"oreov,er. it; sometimes happens that there is a slight leakage in the valve 28 of the spigot 27, which during long periods of inactivity would deplete the pressurein the settling chamberand when the pressure in the settling chamber falls below the pressure at which the spring 22 acts, this spring will openthe-valve device 18 and permit additional high pressure beverage to flow into the settling chamber until the-'latterhas become filled, thereby renderingthe apparatus inoperative for the purpose forwhich it is intended. In order to overcome this, I have connected the conduit 23 to the settling chamher as at the point 24 which, it will be noted, is slightly above the desired normal level of the beverage in the settling chamber.

is above the connection 24) whereuponthe end of conduit 23 will be sealed against the further-escape of pressure through this conduit. Thus the desired pressure can be maintained in the settlingchamber and chances of the settling chamber becoming inoperative in the manner above described is eliminated.

Various changes and modifications; in the specific. construction illustrated may suggest themselvesto those skilled'in. this artand'to this end reservation is made tov make such changes as maycome within the purview of tll'GflCCOli'lPlIlYlIlg claims.

1V hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In apparatus ofthe class described, a settling chamber, a draft arm connected thereto and a conduit connected'to said draft arm and to said settling chamber. slightly above the liquid level thereofwherebv'said conduit will be sealed upon an abnormaltrise of-the liquid leveland before said'liquidlevel reaches the top of said chamber.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a settling chamber, a draft arm connected thereto and aconduit connected-to-the side wall of said settling chamber intermediate the space normally unoccupied by liquid and tosaid draft armadjacent the discharge end of the same.

a 3. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising, a settling chamber for separating a portion of the gas from said beverage, a draft arm communicatingwith said chamber, and a conduit-for conducting a portion of the gas from the settling chamher into the draft arm,'the connection be- 110 tween said settling chamber and conduit being intermediate the normal liquid level in said: chamber and the top thereoffso thatan abnormal rise of the beverage in said settling chamber seals sa1d condult to prevent the passage of gas therethrough.

4. The combination with a settling chamber adaptedto receive a carbonated beverage under pressure, and a draft arm connected to said settling chamber, of means including a conduit connecting said settling chamber to saiddraft arm for conducting a'portionof the gas from said settling chamber into said draft arm, sa1d conduit belng connected: to

said settling chamber above the normal'beverage level but below the top off said settling chamber whereby an abnormal rise of the beverage level seals the inlet end of said conduit.

5; The combination with a settling chamber adapted to receive a carbonated beverage under pressure, and a draft arm connected to said settling chamber, of means including a conduit connecting said settling chamber'to said draft arm for conducting a portion of the gas from said settlin chamber into said draft arm, said conduit being'connected to the side Wall of said settling chamber above the normal beveragelevel therein and below 7 the top of said settling chamber whereby an a I abnormal rise of the beverage level seals the inlet end of said conduit, the other end of said conduit being connected to said draft arm adjacent the discharge end thereof, for the purpose set forth.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a

settling chamber, a; draft arm connected thereto, pressure controlled means for mam e taining a predetermined liquid level in said settling chamber, and a conduit connecting a the portion of the settling chamber abovethe normal liquid level to 'saiddraft arm, a

said conduit being sealed by the liquid in said settling chamber upon an abnormal rise of the level thereof. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature; j I WILLIAM E. DOUGH IY. 7 

